‘Zita the Spacegirl’ and the virtue of final perseverance

I can’t remember how I came across the comics of Ben Hatke. I think I was googling Catholic cartoonists and his name popped up. It probably took me a year to buy one of his books due to the fact that I am a horrible cheap skate. The book was called Zita the Spacegirl. I was hoping it was something my children and I could both enjoy. Something coming from a Catholic cartoonist that deserved my support for not being vulgar or filthy. I was hoping that the story had some kind of takeaway message from the story, something sorely missing in the world of comics today. I was not disappointed.

Zita the Spacegirl tells the story of a young girl who encounters a comet the crashes to earth. Her interaction with what was in the comet leads to an intergalactic adventure. There are three volumes to the series. While each volume has its own theme, the overarching thrust for the series is Zita’s return home.

The author, Ben Hatke has stated publicly that there is no specific message that his work is intended to send. But, that he is who he is and, because of that, his Catholic faith may be found in his writing.

With that being said, I took the story as a metaphor for final perseverance. Zita’s home symbolizes heaven. She is taken away from her home and put into a different world. She is a stranger in a strange land. There are trials she must face, sacrifices she must make and mistakes she must rectify before she can go home.

This is the same for us, as Catholics. Heaven is our true home. We were made for Heaven. We are strangers in this world of ours. We should feel out of place, like strangers, if we are living lives of virtue. Our goal is to get to heaven. The way we get there is by fighting against trials of temptation, making sacrifices through prayer, fasting and abstinence and rectifying the guilt due to our sins through the sacraments and obtaining indulgences.

I’ll admit, this theme can apply to many stories but that’s a good thing. It further proves that this is how God hardwired us. It also makes a good talking point if you have young family members or friends who read the Zita series. Often times, children fail to see the importance of sacrifice and generosity in obtaining a worthwhile goal. Zita gives a good example of these virtues and their consequences. Better than many other comics I have read what have the same thematic thrust.

I have already spoken to my children about these themes in relation to this book. But the great thing about owning a physical copy of a book is that it can be re-read, which reinforces the lessons it gives. This is what I hope for from our ratty copies of the Zita series floating around our house. So far, it seems to have worked.

So, Google Ben Hatke’s books, like I did all those years back. You may be in for a great surprise.